


Onward to Our Own Futures

by Jejunitive



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Pokemon, And I mean a LOT of references, But only by a little for consistency reasons, Confused bois, Don't worry they're not 10, Fluff I guess, How Do I Tag, Humor, I wouldn't call them "enemies", Kind of based on Pokemon Black/White 2 but not completely, M/M, Mentions of Galar, No Smut, Non-Famous, Please ignore my side comments on how illogical Pokemon can be sometimes, Pokemon, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon References, Pokemon canon changes, Pokemon canon characters that I won't tag individually because they're already part of the AU, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Some things were seriously annoying to have to explain, Stray Kids but they're Pokemon trainers, Swearing, Team Plasma (Pokemon), Teasing, Unova, aged-down characters, maybe some angst here and there, references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22755763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jejunitive/pseuds/Jejunitive
Summary: When Lee Minho finally had the opportunity to embark on a Pokemon journey, he expected a lot of things: catching Pokemon, battling other trainers, traveling across Unova, and winning- a lot.What he didn't expect was his long time rival, Han Jisung, to be the very person- or nuisance, in his terms- journeying with him.Oh, and a crime syndicate that may or may not be trying to make his life a living hell.-----------Or, Minho and Jisung are two up-and-coming Pokemon trainers who end up getting a bit more than what either of them bargained for.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Onward to Our Own Futures

**Author's Note:**

> Just as a preface, here's some background:
> 
> For the sake of simplicity and my own sanity in trying to write this, Minho, Jisung, and Felix are all 17, but Minho is a few months older than the other two. Hyunjin is also 17, Seungmin is 16 (nearing 17), Jeongin is 15, Changbin is 18, and Chan and Woojin are both 19.
> 
> Even though I've set Stray Kids as characters, I won't be replacing any of the gym leaders/professors with them or anyone else, mostly because I think the story wouldn't flow as nicely.
> 
> The events of this are based on Pokemon Black/White 2 (With some elements of Black/White) and follow their general path, but the character interactions, experiences, and plenty of story components are completely different.

Today.

  
  
Today was judgement day.

  
  
Okay, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic.

  
  
Today, however, _was_ the day he’d finally start his journey. 

  
  
_ Damn Unova for having different age quotas than other regions. _

  
  
He, the man, the myth, the legend, the one and only Lee Minho, was determined to- no, he was _going to_ become the League Champion, one way or another. 

  
  
Sure, he might be cooped up alone in his bedroom right now, huddled under a blanket and playing video games, but mark his words: by this time next year, he’d be Unova’s next Champion, even if he had to over-level his Pokémon to oblivion to do so. 

  
  
A guy could dream, alright?   


  
He stared blankly at the loading screen, humming quietly while he pictured standing across from the Champion herself, shouting commands with a fervor as attacks from both Pokémon shot sparks, flames, and even parts of the battlefield into the air around them. He saw himself stepping into the Hall of Fame, gazing at the golden frames displaying the region’s champions grinning beside their teams and soon pulling his own Pokémon into a maybe excessive group hug as tears of joy escaped his eyes. He could see it now: defeating countless challengers, gym leaders, and even other champions, traveling all across Unova and beyond. Maybe, if he trained enough, he’d even try the Battle T-   


  
“Minho! You’re going to be late!”   


  
The sudden sound of his dad’s voice immediately snapped him back to reality. For now, he was still just a confused 17 year-old who hadn’t even gotten a starter Pokémon, a job, or, hell, a date yet, sitting on his bed playing Super Smash Bros without so much as a badge to his name. Sure, he’d won plenty of tournaments over the years that presented themselves in a wide trophy cabinet near his desk, but those were all won with borrowed Pokémon and were all against other students. He’d never battled an adult who used their actual team- never mind any full-time trainers- and that was with Aspertia’s Gym Leader basically running the school here.   


  
“Coming!” he yelled, throwing down his Switch and racing over to his closet to pull sets of clothes off of their hangers frantically. Whoever said that trainers didn’t need a change of clothes was stupid, he figured. Imagine wearing the same pair of clothes for months on end: that’d be nasty, no matter what the TV shows tried to imply. _What was that character’s name on that one show? Ash? Yeah, him._ He felt bad for the guy playing him, having to wear the same exact outfit to every shoot for an entire season. It seemed... gross.   


  
Pulling his shirt over his head and running downstairs, he was instantly hit with the smell of morning coffee and eggs sizzling on the stove, open windows bringing in a comfortable breeze that lightly rustled the curtains in the kitchen. Sliding on the tiles, he grabbed a piece of toast, shoving it in his mouth as he scrambled to finish getting dressed and packing his bags.    


  
His dad sighed, looking at Minho with a mixture of pity and amusement. “Didn’t I tell you to wait until tonight to finish packing so you wouldn’t rush like this? You’re not leaving the city until tomorrow, Min.”   


  
“Mmph-“ Minho mumbled back around a mouthful of toast, swallowing it quickly when his father gave him a pointed look. “Sorry. I guess I just wanted to make sure I was ready before going to the lab.”   


  
“And you are. You’ll do great, okay? Now get going; you only have 5 minutes until 10.”   


  
“5 minutes?!?” Minho blinked, shocked, frozen in place for a few seconds, then forced his feet into a pair of sneakers as fast as he could and threw the door open. “Bye, Dad! Thanks for the food!” he called as he half-ran out the door.   


  
Now, his hometown wasn’t anything spectacular- it definitely wasn’t Castelia City, for starters- but compared to most regional towns, it was definitely on the larger end. Surrounded by forests and situated right near the foot of a mountain, the area was pretty isolated from most of the region but nonetheless acted as a fairly popular tourist destination, both for its scenery and the Pokémon Gym it had.

He walked briskly through the town, weaving in and out of the streets expertly. Sure, he could run there, but looking at the situation, that was, well... not in his favor, to say the least. He’d rather be a minute or two late, he figured, than show up as a gasping, sweaty mess in front of Professor Juniper herself. Now _that_ would be embarrassing. 

Spotting the lab about a block away, he quickened his pace, stopping at the two large glass doors situated under a golden plaque reading ‘Juniper Labs’.   


He exhaled as he stood in front of the building, nervously combing his hair down with his hand in an attempt to look more presentable. From the large curved window on the front he could see a myriad of screens displaying endless amounts of colorful data, running simulations, or analyzing samples. A few people in pristine lab coats occasionally passed by briskly, usually holding a tablet of sorts, entering or exiting one of the many rooms inside. Taking a deep breath, he tentatively opened one of the doors, slipping in quietly and wincing when his sneakers made a slight squeaking noise on the polished white floors. As he walked over to the front desk, he mumbled out his name, receiving a courteous nod and directions to head to room 212 from the receptionist.   


  
When he finally found it (After much trial and error), the he first thing he saw when he entered was the professor’s face from the other side of the room, her eyes peering at him kindly as a smile twitched at her lips. “Hi there! I’m Professor Juniper, nice to meet you...” 

  
  
“...Minho.” he finished, returning her smile.

  
  
“Welcome, Minho! If you wouldn’t mind joining us up here, we’ll get started.”

  
  
_Us?_ He glanced sideways.

  
  
The second thing he saw wasn’t nearly half as welcoming.

  
  
_ No. _

  
  
“Han.”

  
  
To her left stood a boy, slightly younger than he was, who stared back at him with a smug expression, tilting his head sideways in a joking fashion almost to the point where his dark brown bangs hung directly in front of his eyes. But this wasn’t any boy- no, this was _the_ Han Jisung, the one person he’d hoped wouldn’t show up: the one person he absolutely, unequivocally, could not afford to deal with today.   


  
Coming from a relatively secluded area, he and Jisung went way back, practically since the two of them started attending the same Trainers’ School years ago. It wasn’t that Jisung bullied him there or something, or that he was an asshole in general. In fact, he seemed to be a fairly nice person (Outside of the battlefield, anyway). It’s that he was, well... good, as much as he hated to admit it.   


  
Like, really good. Practically-the-only-trainer-who-even-came-close-to-Minho-at-that-school level of good. At first, they’d only known the other existed through a shared Type Matchups class, exchanging brief words when asked to run through imaginary battle scenarios or when they happened to run into each other in the hallways. That was, however, until they were finally allowed to participate in school tournaments, facing each other in the finals in not one, not two, not even three, but _four_ consecutive competitions, where their sarcastic comments and light mockery during their matches gradually generated a pretty intense rivalry. Since then, the two of them had been neck-and-neck in any Pokémon-related event, ranging from tournaments, to trivia, to placing bets on Battle Frontier challengers, and now, apparently, to their very own journeys.    


Minho sighed internally. _These were going to be a looooong few months._   


  
Jisung continued staring at him, smirk broadening into a sarcastically wide smile as Minho returned his expression, cocking his head at an exaggerated angle.   


“Lee.”

The professor glanced between the two of them a few times. “I assume you know each other?”

“Something like that.” Minho replied with a snicker.    


  
He wouldn’t have considered the two of them “enemies”, per se, since it’s not like they hated each other (Even if the other annoyed him to no end sometimes), but they weren’t exactly friends either. For one, they never really talked outside of tournaments, and when they did talk, it always resulted in some form of competitive banter. As much as he knew about Jisung’s battle style and preferred strategies, he’d be hard pressed to say anything about his other interests, friends, or even something as simple as his favorite color. It’s as if they were stuck in this odd equilibrium between friends and enemies, toeing the rivalry line every time one of them sent out another attack or made a mocking quip at the other. Frenemies, maybe?    


  
He’d stick with “rivals” for now.   


  
Either way, now that Jisung was here, things were going to get twice as difficult (As per usual). Not only would he have to worry about other trainers, he’d also have to deal with someone who knew both his battling style and was an exceptional trainer in his own right. Well, that, and his incessant attempts to annoy the older during matches whenever he had the chance weren’t exactly fun either.   


  
_ Out of every teenager in this city, why’d it have to be him?!? _   


  
“Alright, since I don’t see our third trainer, let’s begin!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands together as she turned to retrieve a cylindrical glass box from one of the cabinets behind her. Setting it down in front of them, she pressed a button on the front, causing the top of the box to lift off with a hiss and releasing air in a brief burst of steam. As the mist cleared, they could see three perfectly arranged Pokeballs, each with a different symbol engraved in front of them: a leaf, a flame, and a water droplet. “As you know, one of the main purposes of these journeys involves collecting Pokémon data by catching them from all over the region. To help you with that, I’m giving you the choice of one of three starter Pokémon.”   


  
Pointing to the first one, she picked it up before placing it into a circular cavity on a machine behind her. Immediately, the screen lit up with charts detailing Pokémon data, along with a picture of a green Pokémon whose snout curved up sharply, piercing eyes reflecting a medium brown as it stared, almost haughtily, at the newcomers. “This one’s called Snivy. It’s our resident grass type, and this one in particular is known to be a little...” she trailed off, looking back at the image. “...defiant.”   


  
And this,” she started, pausing to let them look at the next Pokémon, this time a rather cute white and blue creature with a rounded nose and a shell on its stomach, “is Oshawott, a water type. He’s a sweetheart.”    


  
From the corner of his eye, Minho saw Jisung’s face light up immediately at the sight, smirking to himself as he realized that the latter was most likely going to pick the water type. Picking Snivy would then put him at an immediate advantage, and any attempt Jisung made to battle him thereafter would result in the younger's inevitable, crushing defeat- clearly. Certainly. Maybe then he'd stop constantly trying to weasel his stupid squirrelly face into Minho's business.

It was a good thing, too: when researching Unova journeys beforehand, Snivy (and its final evolution, Serperior) instantly stood out to him, so he was thankful that he didn't end up having to pick one of the others. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was just _something_ about the grass type Pokemon that resonated with him; perhaps it was the way it carried itself as if it knew everything about everyone, or the fact that training one seemed to be a challenge based on Professor Juniper's description.

Or, you know, that Serperior was just fucking cool.

“And this one’s Te-“

  
  
Suddenly, he heard a loud crash from behind him, and the three of them turned to see another boy stumbling through the laboratory’s door, nearly tripping and knocking over a nearby tray as he rushed in. His single-strapped backpack hung loosely from his frame, and his disheveled light purple hair complemented the way his black jacket, clearly thrown on haphazardly, hung off one shoulder. “H-hi!” he stuttered with some foreign accent, ducking his head as he made his way over to the trio. “Sorry I’m late! My name’s Felix.”

  
  
Noting the silence and the way the others stared at his appearance, he sighed, looking down at himself and attempting to smooth down the wrinkles in his t-shirt. “Yeah, I know. Not the best first impression. We literally just moved in yesterday- we’re from Galar- and I guess I was so tired after unpacking that I missed my alarm this morning. But it’s all good now!”

  
  
“Galar, hmm?” Juniper paused, looking thoughtfully at one of the monitors behind him. “Does that mean you participated in the Gym Challenge?”

  
  
“Yeah! Yeah, I did, a couple of years back. I made it to the quarterfinals in the Champion Cup, actually. I’ve heard they start journeys later here in Unova, so when my parents said we were moving here regardless, I figured it’d be a good attempt at a fresh start, y’know?”

  
  
“Wait, quarterfinals? Like... the World Tournament?” Jisung asked.   
  


Felix laughed, a bright, sunny, grin spreading across his features. “Nah. It’s nowhere near that impressive. Galar just has trainers compete in a national tournament after getting all 8 badges instead of having each challenger battle an Elite Four. If you win the tournament, then you get to face the ‘undefeated’”, he made dramatic air quotes with his hands, “Champion Leon and his ‘almighty’ Charizard. It’s mostly just a cesspool of inexperienced 11 year olds trying to use the flashiest attacks possible, so no wonder he wins.”   
  


Minho blinked at him, highly confused. “Why does the champion of Galar have a Charizard? Isn’t that a Kanto starter?”

  
  
Felix laughed again. “No clue, mate. The guy’s kinda weird. Either way,” he shifted, pulling his jacket back over his shoulder, “Galar isn’t all that cool. It’s mostly just farmland. Our largest city, Wyndon, doesn’t even compare to Nimbasa from what I’ve heard.”

  
  
“Well, Felix,” the professor cut in, turning back to the Pokeballs in front of her, “I’m glad you made it. I was just about to have the boys choose their starter Pokémon, so I’d say you got here just in time.”   


  
He nodded. “Don’t worry, I already looked at the starters on the walk- or, sprint- over here.”  When nobody reacted, Felix stepped back, motioning to the table. “Continue.”

  
  
“As I was saying,” she said, gesturing back to the monitor, displaying a black and orange creature with a bright red snout. “This one’s Tepig. Its final evolution, Emboar, is the only dual type out of these, having both fire and fighting types and movesets.”

  
  
She set the ball back in the case, turning to face the three of them again. “Well... take your pick!”

  
  
Jisung paused. “Minho?”

  
  
_ Minho? That’s a first. _

  
  
“Hmm?”

  
  
“Can we... pick them at the same time? I know one of us is going to have an advantage, but... I guess I want it to be on fair terms.” he asked, peering nervously at the other.   


“Y.. Yeah, sure. Felix?”

  
  
“You two go ahead; I’m okay with any of them.”

  
  
Minho stepped forward tentatively, glancing at Jisung who did the same, affixing him with a challenging yet friendly stare that the other returned swiftly. Nodding slightly, he reached out, grasping the Pokeball behind the leaf symbol at the same time that Jisung’s hand landed softly on the one containing the water-type. 

  
  
The boy immediately snapped his head sideways to look at Minho, eyebrows furrowing in thought as he stared at the Pokeball in his hand, the nervous expression he had instantly replaced with one of confidence. “Don’t get cocky, Lee. Type advantages aren’t everything.”

  
  
“I should know, _Han_.” he retorted, accentuating his name with a teasing lilt in his voice. “After all, wasn’t I the one who beat your Blitzle with a Pidove?”

  
  
“Only after I beat your Pansear with a Venipede!”

  
  
“Touché.”   


  
Minho was too preoccupied with staring down Jisung’s growing smirk that mirrored his own to notice Felix shifting his eyes between the two of them in amusement before stepping forwards and grabbing the remaining ball. 

  
  
“Well, Tepig... right? Tepig?” he looked towards the professor for an answer, who nodded her head. “Tepig! Looks like you’re my partner! Let’s win this, yeah?”

  
  
“Not so fast, Lix!” Jisung turned, a spark of determination lighting up his eyes. “One of us- probably me-“ he added, purposely ignoring the way Minho glared at him, “might surprise you.”

  
  
“Hope so! Anyway... I already have a Pokédex, so I’ll head onto... Route 19? I think that’s the one. Whatever the route up north is. Don’t take too long!” Felix said, readjusting his backpack and pulling out an odd-looking red device. “Thanks Professor!” he practically yelled as he rushed out the door.

  
  
With that, she withdrew two similar red devices from her pocket, and held a button on the side of each. Instantly, the two buzzed to life, the face of a Pokémon flashing on the back with a soft blue light. “These are Rotom phones,” she explained, handing them to the boys. “In addition to acting as a Pokédex, they’re where you’ll find your Pokémon’s stats, trainer ID, maps, and how you’ll receive messages from myself or other trainers.”

  
  
Minho turned the phone over in his hands, running his fingers over the smooth metallic coating. Unlocking it, he swiped through various tabs, looking at the different apps that were already downloaded until a cluster titled “Games” caught his eye.   


  
_ Games? Hell y- _

  
  
“Bzzt! Hello there!”

  
  
Jisung shrieked, jumping backwards and nearly dropping his phone, fumbling around rapidly. Instinctively, his other hand latched onto Minho’s arm, gripping it tightly in fear. Eyes blown comically wide, he gaped at the screen as his phone started to levitate in front of him, the unmistakable face of a Rotom appearing on it.

  
  
Seeing his face made Minho immediately double over with laughter. It was like he’d seen a ghost (Although... he technically had) the way his face went at least three shades paler than before, his eyes practically bulging outwards. He looked so tiny, too, clutching Minho’s arm as he curled into himself, almost hiding behind the older. He’d find it kind of cute if it wasn’t so hilarious.    


  
_ So Jisung scares easily. Good to know... _

  
  
“Did the profezzor not tell you? I don’t just power the device; I’m a part of it!”

  
  
“So-“ Minho gasped out between wheezes, “You- sorry- can talk?”

  
  
“Technology izz incredible, isn’t it?” his own phone buzzed as it vibrated in his hand, rising up to join Jisung’s in the air when his screen was also replaced with Rotom’s trademark grin. “We’re like your own personal companions of sortzz, so anytime you have a quezztion or something like that, just ask!”

  
  
“Sorry for scaring you like that, even if your reaction was abzzolutely priceless. Bye now!” With that, the two returned to land in their hands, powering off simultaneously. 

  
  
The professor chuckled. “Fair warning: they tend to do that. You should’ve seen how some of my assistants reacted when we first prototyped them.” 

  
  
Turning back to the table, she withdrew two pouches from one of the drawers, handing one to each of them. “Here are some Pokéballs for the both of you. I don’t think you need much instruction on how to catch Pokémon, so I’ll let you follow Felix to Route 19. I recommend heading to Floccesy Ranch tomorrow; there’s a larger variety of species there. Don’t forget that Cheren’s Pokémon are at least level 12 if you want to challenge the gym afterwards.”

  
  
Ah, Cheren: the pride and joy of Aspertia. Not only had he amassed all 8 badges and beaten the Elite Four, but he’d also grown to become the Gym Leader of the city, specializing in normal types and teaching at the Trainers’ School when he wasn’t taking on challengers. Sometimes, he’d let more advanced students act as gym trainers; thankfully, Minho had the chance to do so more than once, so he knew a thing or two about Cheren’s battle style and the Pokémon he used. _Hopefully_ , hopefully, that would make his first gym battle easier.

Jisung turned, poised towards the door. "So.. we can go?"

"If you have everything, yes. You too, Minho. Good luck to both of you, and please stay updated on any messages I might send. Trainers sometimes don't, and then wonder why their Pokedex doesn't work when they're at least 5 software upgrades behind."

Nodding in agreement and leaving a chorus of "thank you"s, they both left the lab, Minho abruptly stopping outside when he realized that Jisung's hand, although much more relaxed, still clung to his arm. How he didn't notice that earlier, he wasn't sure, but what surprised him more was that Jisung didn't seem to either. _Odd._

  
  
“Hey, um, you’re still holding my arm.”

  
  
“Oh.” Jisung laughed nervously, immediately pulling back his hand and tucking it into his pocket as his cheeks flushed a light pink. “Sorry... I didn’t know I did that. Instinct and all.”

"Yeah, sure, and I too scream when my phone's volume is any higher than 0."   
  
  
  
“Hey!" he huffed, face turning a brighter shade of red. "Rotom is a literal ghost type, you know! It's supposed to scare you!"

  
  
Minho laughed harder as the other began to look more and more agitated. "A Pokemon with a maximum height of one foot is terrifying, I agree."

  
  
"You-"

Jisung reached out, lightly slapping Minho on the arm, the older gasping dramatically in mock offense once he drew back. "Whatever. I'll be at the gate Route 19 after lunch. Felix probably expects both of us there."

"See you then." 

At that, Jisung walked off, bidding him farewell in an exaggerated two finger salute, anime-style. _Typical._

As Minho stood outside, now alone, the reality of everything began to set in.  
  
  


Floccesy Town... tomorrow. So that was it, then. He was really doing this. After today, he’d be going off alone, leaving his hometown completely... until he briefly returned for his gym battle, anyway. 

  
  
He was excited- elated, even- at the idea, but he couldn’t ignore the slight tug of nostalgia pulling him back towards the city. After all, this place was his home, and as much as he wanted to explore the mainland, Aspertia City and the surrounding towns were really all that he knew. Hell, he hadn’t even been as far as the next major city over, if that was any indication. To say he was nervous would be a understatement; to be honest, now that he really thought about it... he was also kind of terrified. 

  
  
_If 11 year olds can do it, so can you._ he reminded himself, walking away from the lab languidly and gazing upwards, taking in the city’s sights as his feet led him through the cobblestone streets. The midday sun shone brightly as he walked, casting shadows from nearby lampposts and storefronts down in front of him. On a Monday like this, residents flocked by nearby shops during their lunch breaks, store bells ringing lightly each time someone else stepped into or out of one of many restaurants, cafes, or diners. Passing by a popular bakery, he breathed in the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread wafting out onto the road, the smell mixing with a crisp September wind that lightly ruffled the the leaves on the oak trees lining the paths. 

  
  
Without realizing it, he soon found himself stopped at the foot of the steps leading up to the Outlook, a widely revered spot rising above the rest of the buildings that offered a panoramic view of both the valley and the city itself. Quickly scaling the steps, he leaned forward against the railing at the top, surveying the expanse of trees in front of him. He picked at the metal as he stared at the river below for what seemed like hours, losing himself to flashes of memories of the city, his home, school, or just anything, really.

  
  
Yeah... he’d miss this place. A lot.

  
  
Just as he pulled his phone out to check the time, he heard the faint sound of someone’s shoes tapping on the steps. Glancing over his shoulder and unable to see anyone, he continued looking outwards, fiddling with one of his earrings absentmindedly.

  
  
“Yo, Lee!”

  
  
_ Of course. _

  
  
“What?” he turned, gaze immediately landing on that same smug grin from before. Jisung stood at the top of the steps, panting slightly while juggling a Pokéball in his hand, looking at Minho with a glint of mischief in his eyes- a look Minho knew all too well. 

  
  
_ Shit. _

  
  
“Let’s battle.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of this- it's my first fic ever, so if you have any suggestions/comments, please leave some! Any and all feedback is very much appreciated. :]
> 
> If you couldn't tell already, this fic is going to end up being quite long. I'll try my best to update as frequently as I can, but I don't think I'll be able to adhere to a set schedule because of life conflicts and whatnot.
> 
> As a final note, sorry for how exposition-heavy this chapter was; I promise there'll be more action moving forwards.


End file.
